Below are the summary results of our VoteMatch 20-question political quiz,
with analysis of the responses in terms of McCain's & Obama's stances from
the 2004 elections. This data represents 15,800 VoteMatch quiz responses in the
period January 1 through Dec. 31, 2004. Click on the links below for excerpts
on each topic, or click for a summary of
Obama's VoteMatch answers and
McCain's VoteMatch answers, with headlines evidencing how we concluded
their answer to each question. Click on the "analysis" link to see background
and details about the question.

Analysis: Obama
supports
Affirmative Action but questions its effectiveness; McCain supports
Affirmative Access with more focus on process than outcome. Note that
our question specifies REQUIREMENT: 39% support that, and 45% oppose it. (This
has changed from 35% support and 51% oppose in 1999-2000, the largest shift for
any question which had identical wording then). Click for all candidates'
headlines on Civil Rights or for
background information.

Analysis: It's
difficult to decode the candidates's stances on religious issues, since both
are wary of issues of separation of church and state, and neither wants to be
seen as anti-religion. But McCain is considerably more willing to federally fund
values education, which the results above would imply are supported by
49% of voters. 37% oppose school prayer, which implies a closer match to
Obama's "no" vote on voluntary prayer. Click for all candidates'
headlines on Education or for headlines on
Values.

Analysis: Only
35% agree with Obama's stance to keep Social Security
within the federal government, while 44% agree with McCain's stance of
privatization (but support of privatization has waned since the
1999-2000 score of 56%-29%). Social Security until recently was called the
"Third Rail" of politics -- touch it and you die -- but clearly the voters are
ready for a change. This question is perhaps the most skewed by our
demographics -- our respondents are all Internet users, and hence are younger
and more affluent than the general population. Click for all candidates'
headlines on Social Security or for
background information.

Parents Choose Schools Via Vouchers

Strongly Support

Support

No Opinion

Oppose

Strongly Oppose

Analysis: 44%
agree with Obama's stance to
fund public schools only, and 37% agree with McCain's stance to
fund vouchers for private schools. Education is primarily a non-federal
issue, with 93% of funding and most decisions occuring at the state and local
levels. But education is solidly third in voter interest (behind abortion and
guns, as measured by our viewership statistics -- it has slipped from second
place in 1999-2000), so the candidates are obligated to make their views known
despite the limited power of the presidency on this issue. Click for all
candidates' headlines on School Choice or for
background information.

Analysis: Free
Trade has the smallest strong opposition of our 20 issues (7%, despite the
ongoing anti-globalization movement), as well as a strong consensus in favor:
58% to only 23% opposed. McCain & Obama agree in supporting free
trade, with McCain promoting the
free market, and Obama voting for free trade agreements while insisting
on labor and
environmental standards. Click for all candidates' headlines on
Free Trade or for background
information.

More Spending On Armed Forces

Strongly Support

Support

No Opinion

Oppose

Strongly Oppose

Analysis: This
is another strong voter consensus; 54% in favor with only 29% opposed, despite
that the wording says MORE spending, not just MAINTAIN spending, which favors
the Republican viewpoint. McCain & Obama outdo each other in pledging better
military pay; but they differ on what else they would spend on, with McCain
focusing on a general
military buildup and Obama focusing on
veterans' benefits. Cheney's calls for
better readiness tend to reinforce this as a Republican issue. Click
for all candidates' headlines on Iraq in general,
or for background
information.

Analysis: 51%
favor restrictions on China trade, with only 25% opposing. This is the only
issue of our 20 questions where McCain & Obama both disagree with the voter's
preference -- Obama voted for
China PNTR; McCain agrees and would
add Taiwan to the WTO as well. Their agreement is not surprising, since
Clinton, Gore, and the Republican Congress have also agreed on this issue. What
is surprising is the strong public consensus against it, which only
Nader acknowledges, and even he has not come out strongly on this
issue. Click for all candidates' headlines on Foreign
Policy or for background
information.